API integration connects two systems so they share data on their own. An order on your website creates a customer in your CRM, a payment confirms the order, and a delivery request goes to the courier. Nobody copies anything by hand.
What an integration actually does
- Sends data from one system to another when something happens.
- Receives data back, such as a payment result.
- Handles failure. The other service is slow, rejects a request or is down.
The third part is where most of the work is.
Where integrations break
- A timeout leaves an order half created.
- A retry charges a customer twice.
- A changed field name on the other side breaks silently.
- Nobody sees the failure until a customer reports it.
Good integrations log every request, retry safely and make failures visible.
Typical integrations
| Need | Example |
|---|---|
| Payments | A checkout connected to a gateway. I wrote the gateway plugin for Moneybag. |
| Email and forms | Enquiries sent to the inbox or CRM with a confirmation. |
| Delivery | Orders handed to a courier service. |
| Your own API | A clean API so an app or partner can build on your product. |
Integrations are quoted per job, and extra developer time is $25 an hour in US dollars. See API integration services to send a brief.
Common questions
What is an API integration?
An API integration connects two systems so they share data automatically, for example an order on your site creating a record in your CRM.
How much does API integration cost?
It is quoted per integration after I read the documentation of the services involved. Extra developer time on an existing project is $25 an hour.
What happens when the other service is down?
A well built integration retries safely, logs the failure and never charges or sends twice.
Can you build an API for my own product?
Yes. I build the API as part of a web application so a mobile app or a partner can use it.
Written by Sakib Islam, a WordPress developer who builds and looks after sites for businesses and agencies. About my work
